Soul Calibur Alpha Strands of Time
by AstralSpectre
Summary: Soul Edge. . . even through death, your scars run deep. The series continue in an all original story. A new menace lurks, somehow related to the cursed sword. However, if it isn't Nightmare, than who could it be? Heroes, new and old, will rise to fight!
1. Chapter 1

SOUL CALIBUR: STRANDS OF TIME

Prologue

There was a slight moment of peace, once. It was an unanticipated time where evil was held at bay. The many warriors who fought for their own various causes had put down their swords, for the most part. It was quite obvious, though, to all that the evil that had raised hell upon the earth was still not forever vanquished. Nonetheless, the immediate danger was gone, nothing but sunny days, the reemerging of animal life, and reparations all throughout Europe and most parts of Asia; a magnificent sign of rebirth.

But, like all good things, this small instant of fertility had to be disrupted once more. Many adept heroes, new and old felt this presence. It was a slightly nostalgic one, bringing bittersweet memories to their war-weary minds.

All of these men and women had one thing in common: Soul Edge had impacted their lives in one way or another. But, because of the age they had lived in, it appeared nearly impossible to join forces and regroup to one specific spot. Instead, they embarked in search of this disturbance, hoping in spite of their excitement that it was nothing more than a mere misinterpretation. Soon after, the rumors began. . .

Of course, if this legacy were nothing more than this, it wouldn't be worth speaking of. Other troubles ensued, not just at first world countries, but also in the New World. Things were beginning to get uglier. A new threat loomed over the horizon, and both benevolent and malicious souls became fiercely entangled in what would ultimately be called "The Tek Era".

Chapter 1

The morning was dreary, marked with stains of treachery and death. A faint drizzle began upon the nearby town where many people from all over once mingled. At that moment, only the wind sounded. One man stood proudly in the center of the "abandoned" town. The loud, lucrative bars and the busy markets were just derelicts. The tall, lumbering man could not easily be seen in his armored suit, yet a horrible aura was emitting from his right hand. What he held in it was long, and unusually shaped, its very presence causing death to plant life and animal life nearby.

"Do not leave anybody alive!" he grumbled beneath his unworldly helmet. From that yell, several ninja-like men flew from rooftop to rooftop, scouring the area for any signs of life.

The man was not a fool. He knew that several people had managed to escape the onslaught that he induced. Yet, he was not the least bit worried. Agents were scattered all over to assassinate each and every one of them. They were. . . locked on, for lack of better words. And even if they happened to spread word of what happened, he severely doubted that everyone would turn their attention to them immediately. All he needed to do was to eliminate them and get to his Destined Spot as quickly as possible. Time was of the essence.

"Ha. . . ha, ha, ha, ha!" The man could hardly wait. After planning for so long, his visions would come true! He patted the weapon in his right hand, knowing that he'd never be where he stood if it were not for the day he found it. . .

The harbor was left derelict save for the sounds of two swords dancing. The warriors fought voraciously, their blades causing bright sparks that illuminated the dreary, morning sky. One warrior, a female, used a single peculiar blade, the other, male, used two.

"It's time for you to _die_, you worthless mongrel!" cried the woman, whose sword was being pressed against one of the man's. He managed to push her off a few feet away, but she only charged once more with greater force. Her attack went high, throwing the man's strike backward.

"Heh, heh, you've improved somewhat since our last skirmish, daughter," he stated mirthfully, "but you have no chance. I've studied all of your attacks. Now, come with me and become a part of my power. . ."

"Never!" the woman protested with disgust. "I came here to eliminate the remains of Soul Edge, and you are one of them!" The man laughed, his swords hovering slowly around him as his arms folded onto his chest.

"Don't make me laugh, oh sweet daughter of mine! If that be the case, let me assist you by destroying you, then!"

"Do not mock me! I will kill you once and for all, and as for me. . ."

The woman trailed off. And with a spin of her sword, the weapon changed from blade to whip, going around wildly as if it had a mind of its own. The metallic segments encircled her body, creating a veil of spiraling beauty. The two swords the man had floating above stopped immediately, the larger of the two, the one that was a distorted Soul Edge fragment, striking down first.

"Spin, my sword!" yelled the woman, actually commanding her weapon. In response, the whip spun around her faster, knocking back both of the swords one after the other.

"You fool. . ." spat the man who's pirate outfit appeared worn and weathered as brighter, unnatural sparks flew from the impact of the evil blade. His swords landed on the wooden pier, lodged into the wood. He frantically raised up his hands and the blades were shuddering, prying themselves off as if his hands were giant magnets.

At the same time, the woman whipped the elongated sword from one side to the other, missing the pirate by inches. He caught hold of the two blades. He was charging some form of dark energy that seemed to turn his pale skin into a purplish pallor. The weapons he held, the evil blade in particular, shone even brighter, an eye opening from its center near the hilt.

_The cursed sword! It is trying to regain strength through his fragment. I must not allow it!_

The woman, vowing to never let that sword exist, let out a guttural yell, letting all her strength reside in her arms. She pulled the sword back, the whip retracting like a spring. With a charge similar to that of the pirate's, the two were just milliseconds away from unleashing their attacks to the fullest.

"Extend!" commanded the woman, her short silvery, purplish hair wavering from both the strong winds and the dark energy surrounding her. And the pirate, her father, came shooting toward her, spinning at an insanely inhumane speed, his swords outstretched. The impact of her spiraling whip-blade would have torn him to shreds at the speed he was going, but he edged the her left, bouncing off a wall and spinning in midair.

"May you rest in the darkest of seas. . ." the man saluted. The woman turned to see where he drifted to and saw as much as heard the gun go off, the weapon concealed carefully on his smaller blade.

_Damn, I forgot, move, move. . ._

She somersaulted, landing in a crouch, her weapon weaving side to side in disapproval of the attack.

"Follow him!" again she dictated, and her sword wrapped itself around the adrift pirate's leg. She tugged down, pulling him back into her range of attacks. As he recovered from the fall, she had gained a few meters, enough to unleash her Summon Suffering. With her metal-gloved left hand, she grabbed hold of his throat, her sword no longer needing a command for what to do next. The segments of her blade went wild, slicing in and out of the evil man's abnormally discolored body. Many holes formed in his chest, abdomen, legs, and arms, blood pouring out seconds later out of the sheer speed.

The man fell limply to the ground. His swords, too, fell, as if his life, his soul, were embedded within them. Her sword came back together into one solid blade again. As she neared him, he muttered something, surprisingly not out of anger.

"I-Isabella. . . ? D-don't. . . for. . .give. . .me. . ."

The wretched man was dead, at last. The first thing she did was approach the fragment of Soul Edge he wielded. It took all remaining strength within her as she raised her sword up high.

"As for you, you bastard, it's time for you demise!"

The crunch of the shattering sword seemed to stab at her, too; she also bore the blood of the cursed sword through her veins. But at the end, she'd recover. Despite her fate, which she knew all too well, she wanted to live a bit longer.

She took one last look at the man that was her true father. As an adopted child, she would have felt something of longing and anger for this man. However, her only feelings were that of bittersweet remorse and karmic justice. She had hated the man with all her might. Only a tiny part of her felt even the slightest pity for the demon.

"Good bye, Cervantes De Leon. . ." she whispered, knowing by the change in the weather that she had done this world a good deed. Her duty was almost completed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Maxi woke up and saw only the gray darkness of the inn's windowless room. It felt like centuries since he last took a great snooze, uninterrupted and serene. The light tapping of rain began to dance on the small ramshackle building, creating a somewhat relaxing ambience. A random drop entered from somewhere above and splashed onto Maxi's chest. It actually woke him from his morning reverie, causing him to get up and stretch.

The "Cozy Fuzzy Bear Inn" was the only place he could afford for the night, and while the name wasn't as attractive as most would seem, for the money he paid, it was excellent. He had spent some time in India, admiring the sea and thinking of a new start. However, some nights ago, something had suddenly caused him to want to just get up and leave. It was a dream. A very vague one that, as much as he didn't care to admit, touched him in a very deep crevice of his heart.

The dream involved a young woman, her features very shadowy. Her body was the most perfect shape, very much like an hourglass. Her wavy, beautiful hair reached right above her hips, her very existence causing Maxi to feel protective, worried, even sick with . . . _love_.

It was too great of a coincidence. And in this life, he had very little understanding of the concept "coincidence". He was sure that she had been someone of his past, someone he cared deeply for. His friends, Xianghua and Kilik, had told him of his loss of memory caused by that cursed sword. Even then, he had tried to kill them out of fervent confusion. Who knew? Maybe the girl was his wife or something.

Regardless, it'd be a long time before he could regain his memories fully. It was a much better idea to move onward and let the future events unveil the past. Maxi never liked getting lost in thought about things he was unsure of. And as much as he knew it was a bad habit, he relied on impulsive instincts.

Maxi exited the inn and walked down the town's streets, stretching his travel-worn muscles. The drizzle was slowly dying down, several streaks of sunlight cutting through the gray clouds. It was a good sign, actually; Maxi was thinking about leaving as soon as he got up. It was time to meet up with a man who could give him a job. He met the guy just a few days ago, said he would give him a job guarding some sort of vault. Maxi would've said "hell no!" but the pay was just so _good_, he didn't have the guts to say it. Guarding anything was a dirt job, but it'd fund him for his next journey.

Several shouts snapped him out of his mental planning, the voices of several stunned people coming from somewhere to his right. It was where the port was, off the shore of the Arabian Sea. Maxi hurried over to see what the commotion was all about and stopped short to see a group of townsfolk gathering near the wooden piers. The crowd moved aside, giving passage to a woman, one Maxi had seen somewhere before. Could it be . . . ?

He had to know who she was. He stood behind the building nearest to where she was heading to, his back leaning casually against the wall. After waiting, he saw the woman as much felt her notice him. She was dressed very seductively, her figure quite buff for a woman, yet very feminine. She had an unusually silvery-colored hair, short with long bangs just on one side. But when he looked at her eyes, he knew it definitely wasn't her. Still, he felt a surge of emotion toward the woman. He just had to confront her.

The crowd that had been following her dispersed when they saw Maxi closing in on her. He felt a malicious aura from the girl, and even though he recognized it well, he kept his hand on his nunchakus the entire time. The silver-haired girl stopped in her tracks, then Maxi did the same.

"Is there something you want from me, knave?" the woman spat, her back still toward him.

"Tell me who you are," Maxi demanded, his voice stern and unyielding. The way he spoke provoked the woman, who then spun around and unsheathed her sword, a simple broadsword. The blade itself gave off an unpleasant aura, but she contained most of it.

"Who I am has nothing to do with you! Disappear, before I make you."

Her reply brought a smile across Maxi's face. He may not have memories of her or anyone else, but he never forgot what a good fight felt like. And this one was going to bring him back the memories.

-TAKI-

Blending well in the shadows, the ninja anticipated her target's movements exactly the way she had thought. After all, Taki knew the target like the back of her hand. It was a convenience she learned to always use, especially when it involved a warrior of high caliber. The starry sky above began to slowly vanish as she entered the forest, her skin-tight black body suit camouflaging her every move.

"Come on, show yourself, you predictable little brute."

She finally became aware of his presence, her heightened senses easily tracking his advancement. And he was headed toward the great port city of Kominatomachi. With that realization, Taki had three options. One was to straight up reveal herself, asking (or forcing if necessary)him tell her what he knew and to turn back. However, that was quite foolhardy. The man was a talented swordsman, whom she had faced many times and not without a scratch. The second option was to continue to follow him and lay out several "ninja traps" and force the info out of him, which wouldn't be a problem, except he wasn't the type to scare or fall easily from a couple of flying shurikens or daggers. It would instead make things more complicated if he became aware that he was being followed.

Finally, there was the last option, which was a tad bit more anticlimactic. She would have to hurry before him and arrive at the port city before dawn, before he could get there. With the idea still fresh in mind, Taki lunged up silently, grabbing hold of a branch above and swung atop of it without much motion. She leapt nimbly from branch to branch, her body like a shadow at the corner of one's eye.

She took one last look at the man from a distance. His long, black hair was tied in an upward ponytail, as always. He wore no shirt, a strap to carry his long sword, and the traditional samurai pants and sandals. Normally, she would have to track him down to keep him from acquiring the cursed sword, but ever since its demise, he had laid low, honing his skills for the fights of the occasional overly self-assertive. Nonetheless, Taki had a task to fulfill.

Several nights previous, she had a most disturbing nightmare about her ninja master, Toki. A couple of years back, when the cursed sword was at its peak, Taki was forced to battle against her mentor and father-figure. However, what made things horribly wrong was that he was influenced by the weapon, causing him to lose his conscious mind to a monstrous demon, Oni. After slaying the beast in the lower depths of Hoko Temple, he was much at peace. But she felt great unrest from him in her dreams, his form constantly wavering from demon to human, a reddish hue surrounding him, tormenting him . . .

When she woke up, her semi-evil dagger, Mekki-Maru, which had been sheathed and under her bed, lay on her chest, the weapon hot with energy. It was a clear signal. Something was horribly wrong somewhere, and the way she saw it, it was her duty as a demon slayer to investigate, especially if it had some relevance to Soul Edge.

"And you, Mitsurugi, will show me just where to go, you egotistical pawn."

Taki slept for only two hours, but still, her body felt strong. She got up from the tiny corner of a rooftop where she rested. The sun had just peeked out from the horizon, giving out a bluish pinkish glow. She shimmied rooftop to rooftop toward the dock, waiting for Mitsurugi to show his mug. Surely enough, he appeared, spoke to several men at the port, and was about to get on board the ship where she'd follow-

-when something flew about an inch away from her face. When Taki quickly picked up the dagger and knew without even examining it that it was the Fu-Ma Clan.

Taki immediately back-flipped several times until she could get safely away from her assailant. Meanwhile, more daggers were being tossed at her direction, each accurate, but not swift enough to strike her. She jumped down from the rooftop on the opposite side Mitsurugi was, hoping she didn't have to fend them off in plain view where everyone would see. Attracting unnecessary attention was definitely not her style.

The Fu-Ma ninjas, the clan members she and Master Toki formerly belonged to, pursued her relentlessly through the streets, not even caring that they were making their presence quite known to all. However, Taki wasn't going to play their desperate little game. She didn't know or care why they wanted her, but she couldn't blow her cover just yet.

Taki dashed from street to street, hiding among each shadow to disorientate her pursuers. Two shurikens barely missed her arm and leg, but they were very sloppy, their mission clearly just to kill her, which was unusual. They often came after her for information, or when she had something they wanted. Sure, she had Mekki-Maru, which contained a Soul Edge fragment melded into it, but she doubted that . . .

And as she continued to run for her life, dodging villagers from every direction, she realized that maybe they were after her because of the blade. The way they acted, so uncoordinated and uncommonly violent, was not in their nature at all, even if they were ordered to kill her. Only ones under the influence of the cursed blade would be so blood thirsty, and her dagger must've been what attracted them.

After the ninjas caused enough ruckus to scare the nearby villager into fleeing the scene, Taki flipped and faced them, simultaneously drawing her two daggers, Rekki-Maru and Mekki-Maru. She could feel the whereabouts of each of her foes, the energy unmistakably that of evil. As if knowing that they'd been tracked by her "sense", the three ninjas made themselves seen, jumping down from seemingly nowhere and standing in hostile stances in front of her. Their outfits did not match that of previous Fu-Ma ninja suits, but their skills did.

"You mustn't live, warrior," said one of the ninjas, his voice rugged and malevolent.

"Why does the Fu-Ma Clan want me dead now of all times?" she asked, keeping her stance equally ready for any sudden movements. The ninjas did not reply, only unsheathed their blades and separated. One immediately dove at her from her left, and she guarded quick enough to guard another from behind. She flipped backward several more times to evade them, then charged using her Possession skill that she nearly perfected. Just as she suspected, they were under the influence of darkness, but whether or not Soul Edge was involved was questionable.

When the last ninja joined to gang up on her, just as they sprinted toward her, she put her hands together and shot dark energy from her blade currently possessing her and dropped on one knee. The explosion surrounding her pushed them away, their bodies weakened greatly by her exorcism. Taki, who was a master at controlling spirits within her body, was left unscathed. The demon slayer stood up and struck the nearest ninjas down, swiftly and effortlessly. The last managed to escape, jumping up high and disappearing like a silent bolt of lightning. Feeling a moment of relief, a new tension took over her.

"Great, the boat . . . !"

The ship Mitsurugi got on had already departed. Perhaps the ninjas were after him? Maybe he rushed the captain of the ship and Taki got caught up in the fight. Whatever the case, she lost him. She had to find another means to the inland. Apparently, from the route the ship was heading off to, they were going to Ming, which was surprising. Mitsurugi had joined the Japanese in war against Ming. Surely, he was on some important quest.

With paranoia still stinging in her gut, Taki vanished again, disappearing into the wind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There wasn't much of a standstill when the man with the nunchakus began to taunt her. Ivy hated show-offs almost as much as she despised Cervantes, so killing the cocky little man would be a pleasure she didn't deserve. However, she needed to be more cautious. After all, she used up a lot of her energy battling the wretched pirate. If the man was as well-rested as he looked, she was in for quite a disadvantageous fight.

Ivy decided she'd use her more deceptive style of swordplay; the man appeared like the muscle-brain type. She would hold off on changing her sword into whip, using surprise elements to the best of her ability.

"You're gonna wish you were still in your mother's womb when I'm through with you!" Ivy scolded, her stance and attitude as collective as she could make it. The man was obviously playing mind games with her, for he only observed her movements, preferring to bide instead. Ivy held no qualms about striking down a person who stood in her way. Good or bad, it didn't matter. From what she learned, there was no such thing as "good or bad". Anyone in her way was as dead as the last.

After nearly two full minutes of both of them circling and readying, Ivy began to charge up as much energy as she could muster, spurring the man into an attack. He swung his weapon at her as low as possible, catching her off guard. As impressive as his speed was, he was no match for her. At that very moment, she grabbed hold of his hair and kneed him right in his gut, hearing a satisfying "ugh" from him. He staggered forward for just a second, then looked up, his face red and irritated.

"No one . . . messes . . . with my hair!" he yelled, his emphatic cockiness melting away. The odd man charged at her at full speed, then diving. He rolled forward, giving Ivy very little time to react.

_That little worm is serious! Get out of the way!_

With the realization hitting her hard, she dove to her left, missing his rising nunchaku attack by the skin of her teeth. She landed painfully on her left arm, a screw-up she could have easily avoided if she wasn't so damn tired. But she couldn't back down now. She needed to ward the cur off, at least.

The nunchaku man was already approaching when she got up, spinning the weapon without much exertion. One hard blow, and she could possibly be down and out. She needed to charge up the dark energy within her, otherwise she'd lose to a battle of endurance, which she lacked. She mentally confirmed that it was the right time to unveil her sword's true nature.

Just before he could strike that devastating blow, Ivy spun, the sword transforming into a whip. And she continued to spin, the long whip circling her and forcing the young man to skid to a stop, his expression quite shocked. As soon as Ivy came to a stop, she cracked down the whip. The man rolled to his right to avoid it, his athletic skills much more tuned than hers.

The dark-haired man appeared startled for a moment, his wide-eyed gaze seeming somewhat familiar. Perhaps it was a friend or family member of somebody she'd killed? Maybe, maybe not. It did not matter. She took that awkward moment to attack. She spun around, bringing her whip upward. She commanded her precious weapon to lash down on her attacker, but then found herself incapable of concentrating, the whip limply falling with her.

"What!"

The Oriental man was getting into close range, rushing back with his roaring nunchakus. She guarded his counterattack, her mind shouting for the mentally linked whip to change back into her blade. Again, the weapon disobeyed, flailing in many directions. As her control faded, the man delivered a forceful blow smack at her face, knocking her weakened body off balance and onto the ground.

-MAXI-

For some inexplicable reason, the woman seemed to have suddenly waned in her skills, her attacks missing and her guarding totally ineffective. However, the startling truth of her identity fueled his motivation; he _did_ know her from somewhere. Although the battle wasn't as thrilling as he'd imagine, he achieved his goal.

"You . . ." he said simply. He glared at her as she rubbed at her right cheek, still moaning and cursing.

"Well? Are you just gonna sit there?" Maxi asked her. She looked at him meticulously, her expression filled with anger and disgust.

"You pretentious bug! Don't think that a simple fluke will mean a thing."

"You were the one working with Astaroth, weren't you!" he demanded more than he asked. She got up, ignoring her pain for the time being.

"How dare you bring up that name! I no longer have any correlation with that foul monster or Schwartztrom for that matter! Begone, you imbecile!"

Soon enough, Maxi found himself being surrounded by townsfolk. As the crowds formed, he heard raging men and women yelling and scowling in his direction. Maxi became confused until a man stood in his way. The guy was rather tall, very lightly armored, and had a long, wide two-handed sword. His blue eyes appeared determined, ready to strike if he so much as moved an inch.

"Stay away from her," he said mildly, his long, light-brown hair wavering freely in the wind. "She has slain the legendary pirate who has slaughtered countless good men. If anything, she deserves praise! So tell me, outsider, will you stand in my way?"

". . . but she had some relation with Nightmare!" he replied in an effort to sway their thoughts. He was positive that this woman was, indeed, the one he saw when he infiltrated Ostrheinsburg Castle with his comrades. She was speaking with the giant monster, Astaroth, himself.

That comment threw the crowd into questioning its validity, causing the citizens to whisper in fright. The man in light armor seemed a bit shakened himself, but he still held the weapon at him. One well-balanced swing from that thing, and not even his nunchakus could withstand the impact; he'd be sliced in two or crushed, whichever would come first.

"Leave," the man insisted. Maxi shook his head and sighed. It was no use. He would cause a whole load of commotion for nothing. Besides, it was probably best that he skip town now. He quickly glanced at the woman, who was obviously only interested in finding an escape.

"Could something be happening with that damn sword again!" he asked himself. With that question locked in his thoughts, he headed for the town's exit only to get stopped by a ninja. He wore a face mask, preventing Maxi from seeing who it really was. As crappy as Maxi felt about letting that evil wench escape, he didn't feel like venting his anger on some foreign amateur fighter. He passed him at the side-

-and the ninja swung around, a dagger skimming the surface of his right arm.

"What the . . ."

The ninja took out two long daggers, ready to tear him apart. He could have sworn he remembered seeing some shady characters before but, of course, his memory . . .

The ninja's eyes began to glow red, a resonation that made Maxi's legs go weak and his body feel numb. He was doing _something_ to him, but he couldn't figure what.

_Wait, that dark energy, the same as. . ._

Soul Edge.

With a feeling beyond that of dread, Maxi struggled to get back into a fighting stance, knowing that in his current position, he would be dead in no time. More ninjas came leaping through the rooftops stealthily, the cry of the townsfolk echoing in every direction. Some nearby explosion shook the ground, although Maxi could not even take a peek in his staggering.

"Can't . . . die . . . here . . . not . . . yet . . ."

A visage came to him, the same figure of that woman. She had her back turned to him, facing the orange light of the sunset atop of a crag near a beach. She was about to turn around and-

-Maxi raised his weapon, guarding an attack just on time. The ninja stared at his invigorated face, dumbfounded. Maxi turned around so quickly, the ninja's weapons flew from his very hands and onto the ground. He pounded the ninja so hard with his nunchakus, Maxi heard bones crack as the unknown masked man hit the ground, dead or dying.

Maxi was powered by a strong aura of hate and the urge to kill. It happened so suddenly, he felt he lost control of his own will. He actually went off to hunt the invading ninjas himself, slaughtering each with incredible skill. However, soon enough, one of the nearby explosions nearly took him.

"What the hell. . . ?"

Houses were on fire, people ran in all directions, trying to avoid the bursts of fiery death. And high above it all, some man covered in a strange azure armor. No. Maxi must've been seeing things, or so he thought. It couldn't be Nightmare. He was gone, dead, killed by the one who was controlled by it. There was no way. But, the weapon in his hand was not the same. It looked almost cylindrical, long. It almost resembled a canon.

No doubt about it, the evil energy was unnaturally strong, emanating profusely from that weapon in noxious amounts, making Maxi feel nauseous. Then, he passed out, each flashing moment that of the Nightmare impersonator.

-MITSURUGI-

Sighing with great relief, Mitsurugi took one last look at the fragment he found before placing it carefully in his box container and into his traveling bag. He just made it. He knew he was being followed since day one, their shadowy disappearances at night sounding like death in pursuit. There was not a doubt in their mind that they sought the evil fragment in his possession. Such power. It was the first time he ever had possession of anything as strong. However, he held on to his determination first. The strange woman who gave him the piece had also informed him that something would occur at the inland if he hurried.

"She better be right," he told himself as he rubbed tiredly at his scruffy beard. He hadn't had much sleep at all, thanks to that lady. He wanted badly to control that very weapon. Perhaps he could tame it, take it under control, like that ninja woman had. Taki, she always perplexed him. Yet, she could never defeat him; every match ended in an unsatisfying draw.

After thanking the sailors and captain, he had stayed at the bow of the ship, admiring the sea. He took a deep breath of crisp ocean air, trying to relax. And then, he felt all the tension rise once more at the sound of a voice.

"So, we meet again," came a young woman's voice. Mitsurugi turned around, knowing who it was before completing the turn.

"Setsuka, how did you get on?" he asked nervously, holding the hilt of his sword strapped to his back.

"I did not intend on causing a fight," she said, her dark eyes piercing into his. She wore the traditional Japanese kimono dress with vibrant colors, her black hair tied back with two small sticks holding them in place. Her "umbrella" was at her shoulder as always.

"Really? Then would you care to put that 'umbrella' down?" Mitsurugi wasn't stupid. She wanted him dead for killing her master, who died in an honorable battle against him. Both him and her master thought of it as a thrilling fight, but she saw things differently. Apparently, she loved him. Feeling awkward for not feeling guilty, he became well aware that her blade was carefully concealed within the end of her umbrella. Beautiful . . . and deadly. A typical geisha.

"Ha ha. So, you still haven't changed, sadly."

"Why are you here?" he asked simply.

"The same reason you're here, well, almost." She showed him the fragment, smiling all the while.

"That weird lady . . ."

"Yes. She gave you one too, no?"

". . ."

"It figures. Now, you hope to find Soul Edge, right? So ignorant! You know it is impossible! It was reduced to a heaping pile of dust. There's no way."

"Don't act like you can understand my motives so easily."

"That's my line, you warmonger. Everybody knows what you want, and that's power. But you will never get it as long as your heart remains as cold as steel."

"Anyway, did that woman tell you anything peculiar?"

"Yes, she told me to head to Ming as soon as I could. She failed to tell me why. Fearing that it was another 'Soul Edge' threat, I left as quickly as I could. I know how horribly evil that weapon is."

"Thought you said it could never be reassembled," Mitsurugi mocked.

"Ugh, you know what I mean! Soul edge is also some evil spirit being. Or maybe your tiny mind couldn't comprehend this even after all these years."

"Heh, interesting. So, you wouldn't actually mind working together with me to stop this 'threat'?"

"If it is for the better interest of my homeland and the world, no, I wouldn't mind. Besides, revenge is the farthest thing from my mind. If I really wanted to, I could've already killed you."

"Well, prepare yourself. I've heard rumors of a weapon that shoots large spheres of explosive evil energy, and that it was capable of destroying a town in ten minutes flat."

"Of course, it's just a rumor . . . right?" she asked, her expression filled with a fear Mitsurugi had seen on the battlefield many times. He did not answer her.

-IVY-

Ivy had been relieved to see the man distracting the very lucky man with the nunchakus. She saw it as the perfect escape route; she could just slip away in the shadows, unnoticed. It appeared the caught too much attention in her battle with Cervantes. However, before she could make her sneaky evasion, there were screams coming from seemingly everywhere, followed by explosions and crumbling houses and strange ninja people.

"What on earth is going on!" she shouted, feeling an intense aura somewhere.

_No, it can't be . . . ! _

It made perfect sense. Her weapon failing, her concentration dwindling, the incredible dark energy everywhere. Her body ached slightly at the throbbing power source.

"This way!" said the man who protected her, grabbing her hand and dragging her away from the scene. She was much too weak to fight off the man.

"Where are you taking me!"

"Away from him."

"_Him?_" she asked, feeling knots tie in her gut. She turned around and saw him, a man floating above in azure armor, wielding an impossibly large weapon in his wretched arm, the appearance exactly that of Soul Edge, only it wasn't a blade . . .

"No!" she yelled with such pain and sorrow, it made her wince for a moment.

"Come _on_, he's after you!"

"What!"

"Do you want him to find you? If not, then come with me."

Ivy watched helplessly as the distancing Indian port town became a searing wasteland, knowing that this was another era of terror, of nightmares. And at that final moment before departing, she met his eyes, feeling like would meld into them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was a little after noon as the winds came and washed away the day's work of destruction. They swept through the upper plains and toward the east. To any, it would feel delightful, a gift from the skies. However, when they reached a certain camp site . . .

Talim had been using her meditation techniques to soothe her mind and body, enjoying the wind in a different respect. She could sense emotion, energy, and events, all through the various motions of the majestic winds; her tribe had taught her this magnificent skill. Perhaps it was also the fact that she was made a priestess at such a young age that helps to contribute to her incredible abilities.

The winds began to get stronger, cleansing her of all her anxieties. It had been that dream. She knew. Talim had never had such a horrible, brutal dream, not since _he_ roamed the land. Something was amiss, she didn't doubt it. Plus, she could sense the intensity of the matter through the wind, like a violent storm somewhere to the South, moving somewhere upward . . .

"Hey, Talim! When we gonna get some grub!"

It was the loud, irritating voice of Yunsung. Talim tried to ignore him the first time, even though she automatically knew it was futile. The now twenty-year-old actually came up to where she meditated and continued.

"Hel-looo! Anyone up there? I said, 'when . . . are . . . we . . .'"

"Calm down!" she scolded, her countenance appearing much older than her true age of seventeen. "We'll leave when the time is right."

"Aw!" Yunsung sighed, "why not now? Lemme guess, it's that 'listen to the wind!' stuff, right? I had enough! My tummy speaks for itself, and it wants chow now! So I'm leaving."

Talim simply remained sitting as he stalked past her and away from their little camp site. Like she predicted, a few seconds later, he came stalking right back.

"Hey, aren't you gonna come after me, you know, saying stuff like, 'oh, don't go!', or something?" Talim merely smiled.

"I know you all too well, Yunsung. And I know that you have no idea how to find the nearest town from here."

There was a temporary silence, then laughter, mainly from Talim.

"Guess you're right . . ." Yunsung said in a defeated, childish tone. "But I am hungry!"

"Alright, we'll go, now." Talim sighed, getting up at the same time. Her face was filled with worry, an expression she didn't wear too often.

"What? Did the wind tell you something bad?" he asked, his attitude quite serious for a change.

"I can't seem to pinpoint where this strong energy is coming from. But it scares me all the same! It's just like . . ."

At her pause, Yunsung put his hand on her shoulder, his height easily much greater than hers.

"Hey, we defeated that bastard's minions, and those other heroes slew his ass! There's nothing more to worry about, unless you're really sensing something big. . ."

Despite her feelings toward the situation, Talim felt comforted. It was times like these where having Yunsung around was a dream come true. However, it was when he acted foolish that she began to doubt traveling with him. Nonetheless, he was a very skilled fighter. She looked up at him, glancing at his tan features, his spiky brown hair wavering in the wind. He had his attention turned somewhere over the horizon, his hand still on her shoulder. He got out of his reverie and walked a few steps away.

"Fine, lets go," she said in low tone.

"Yes! I knew it'd work!"

"What would?" she questioned him with a half smirk.

"Um . . . uh . . . nothing, really, forget it."

"Well, we're also going to see if we can take a peak at this _force_, just so I can breathe easier."

"Tch, man! Wait, are we still gonna eat?"

"Yes, yes. If you want, you can grab a bite when arrive in town."

Yunsung began to cheer like a kid would. Although it was pretty annoying at times, his manners were more soothing than others may have cared to think. Talim was surprised that she had run into him again. Just a little ways from her tribe near the windmills several days ago, she decided to relax by a stream. All of the sudden, she overhears an argument, and past several bushes was Yunsung, all red and angry. He refused to tell her what happened, but whoever he quarreled with happened to take all his equipment including his food . . .

Talim thought of their last adventures and shook off the memories. As splendid as it was to travel the world with him, she could never forget all those that were wounded, those she had treated, and, of course, the unfortunate ones who died. It was so heart-breaking for her. Regardless, she would tackle any obstacle that stood in the way of people's well-being. That weapon she saw glimmering in the sky that fateful day had inspired her.

"Um, Talim? There you go again! Come on, we gotta go."

Talim came back to reality, fearing that her approaching this dark strength could easily be a mistake.

"I know what you're thinking," Yunsung stated amiably.

"Really? Oh, I feel a bit more relieved knowing . . ."

"You're thinking of what we're going to have for dessert, am I right?"

"Ohhh, never mind!" Talim retorted as she began to pack everything up. "When we get to town, just promise me . . . you won't leave my side."

"Why?"

"You'll probably see in a little while . . ."

-MAXI-

The place he was in was dark, a mixture of purple, green and black swirling endlessly around him like a torrent of liquid evil. He was standing flimsily on a large piece of land uplifted and flying up through a path he could not see. In front of him was a figure of a woman, a large distorted sword with an eye in the center and an insignia on the side, and two figures of men, one in azure armor, but human. The other looked human, but Maxi knew he wasn't, he could just _feel_ it. The man in azure armor fought the inhuman man, but strangely, the monster killed the azure man.

All the while, the distorted sword floated up, spun, and slew the figure of the woman, creating a tense and desperate feeling inside Maxi. With the woman and the man in azure armor dead, the inhuman "person" took hold of the sword and Maxi found himself swept off of the floating platform, falling and falling endlessly and . . .

"Ugh!"

Maxi woke up, the sky straight above him. And the two faces he saw were filled with much distress, that he forced himself to sit up.

"Are you okay?" asked the girl softly, who dressed quite exotically.

"We thought you were done for!" said the guy next to her.

"Oh, man! W-what happened?"

"Oh, no! You didn't lose your memory, did ya?" asked the guy.

"Just ignore him," said the girl, pulling him off the ground. "My name is Talim. Just as we came here . . ."

She paused looking around the town. Maxi did the same, but what was the very port town he stayed at was now a heaping pile of wreckage, the houses all torn asunder. He must've wore an expression of true terror, since Talim stared at him with much remorse.

"What could've done this?" the boy asked quietly. Meanwhile, several clouds had gathered and it began to rain again. The drizzle became a downpour in seconds, the sound of thunder faint, but audible.

"We need to get you somewhere safe!" Talim said, nodding to the guy beside her. "Um, Yunsung, bring him to that small shelter, please."

"What shelter?"

"sigh The only house left standing."

"Oh, okay. Follow me."

"Wait," Maxi managed to say, "where are you going? It's dangerous . . ."

"Don't worry about me. Whatever did this is long gone now. I'm going to look for any other survivors."

With those last words, she ran off. The guy she called Yunsung grinned slightly.

"Damn, she's such a _nice_ person," he said almost to himself.

"Did she create that shelter?" Maxi asked as they continued walking.

"Well, sorta. She found the house and made sure it was safe first before it could be used. She even knew it would rain, so she had me patch up any holes. Then, she rallied up the ones who weren't so hurt and got everyone to pitch in and find survivors. That's how we found you."

"Wow . . . and so young, too." The two of them finally made it to the shelter. They were drenched, but luckily, there were a pile of extra clothing and food, the last remaining.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed a woman in the small crowd of survivors. "Are you hurt?"

Maxi shook his head. "Not that bad, really."

"Good! I hope we have enough supplies for everyone," she said before running off to attend to the others.

"Hey, why don't you change into something more, uh, drier?" Yunsung asked him.

"How about you?"

"I'll be right back. I'm going to assist Talim real quick."

With that, he dashed back into the pouring rain. Maxi looked at a puddle of water, noticing in his reflection that his hair was soaked and all messy.

"Damn it! My hair's messed up!"

However, in the reflection, someone else stood behind him, wearing a pitch black robe. Turning around, weapon in hand, his eyes met a hooded woman, her eyes barely visible.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked in a low tone.

"Never mind about that. I know what you're after, or rather, _who_ . . ."

"W-what?"

She tilted her head slightly upward, revealing her face. It was pale white, her lips black and glimmering and her eyes dark and collective, unveiling nothing about her. Maxi was sure he's never seen her before.

"There is trouble afoot. At Ming, something terrible shall happen, unless the chosen ones rise and fight. This can all be prevented so long as you hurry. Here."

She handed him a stone, or some kind of metallic substance. Immediately, he felt its power the same as the monster's, and the same as the one within him; it must've been a fragment of Soul Edge, yet it was much weaker. He began to sweat all of the sudden.

"Why am I 'chosen'?" he asked, unable to resist the piece of metal.

"You need not know anything else. Just hurry over to Ming, before it is too late. There, you will meet some familiar faces. Keep the fragment. It shall guide you to wherever there may be trouble, but I must warn you. Hold on tightly to your will. The weak-minded will fall under its seductive power. That is why I must ask you to not give it away, Maxi."

Maxi's heart sank at her words. Who was she? What was her intentions? And why him? Xianghua or Kilik would easily qualify to be "chosen".

"Follow my advice, and you shall eventually encounter . . . her."

She turned around and began to walk away as if floating.

"Wait! How will I know what to do?"

"I already told you," she said just as calmly. "Hurry to Ming and it shall be clear."

With those last words she literally disappeared, the air around her undulating in eerie waves. She was gone. He looked around in amazement. Nobody else had even noticed!

"Um, are you sure you're okay?" asked the same nurse from before.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, thanks," he replied, his mind set on leaving for Ming right away.

-TAKI-

Taki's eyes opened only to see the setting sun. The boat she had been resting on was nearly at its destination already. She got up from her hiding place and looked off at the distance; she could already see the coast.

_Good, hopefully Mitsurugi isn't too far off..._

She checked her inventory, carefully counting everything in stock. She had food only enough for a couple more days. When she arrived to the mainland, she'd have to find some more.

When the boat had finally docked, Taki slipped away unnoticed. The travelers on the boat were apparently thieves in disguise. She thought she sensed the dark energy coming from somewhere, but she didn't think it'd come from their leader. So, before departing, she quickly spied on the group of thieves, waiting for their leader's appearance.

After a few minutes, he stepped off the boat, his stature obviously pretty high among his fellow men. They knelt down before he began walking into town. While a group of chivalric thieves sounded absurd, she could swear she'd seen him somewhere before. He wore a strange mask, which appeared monstrous, like a spirit of some sort. One of his arms could be seen through his Japanese robe, apparently wooden and somehow still operative. But, it was what he held on his back, a blade, that contained that dark energy. Was he heading for Ming also? He didn't appear to be a threat, but . . .

Time was ticking, and Taki knew she had to choose. While this man, from Japan no doubt, would most likely be heading to Ming also, she didn't have the time to be dawdling behind some suspect's trail. Feeling more certain pursuing Mitsurugi, she dashed up, wall-kicking her way up on top of a roof. She understood that she now stood on Chinese grounds, so Ming would only be a few days away. However, she searched carefully around for any signs of Mitsurugi, but he wasn't in town anymore. It seemed highly unlikely; she was only a couple of hours behind. Did he leave that quickly? The thought of him not heading to Ming didn't even occur to her.

Feeling disappointed, she noticed the band of thieves again, heading toward a local inn. Suddenly, Mekki-Maru began to illuminate, struggling to come loose. She pulled it out, and it immediately pointed at them. Taki felt a certainty that the cursed sword was definitely involved again. She assumed that the thieves would lead her to the cause and began her pursuit, new resolve in her soul.

-IVY-

Although safe from that evil man's clutches, Ivy could not help feeling such anger and sorrow. Had Nightmare really come back? No! It was in every way impossible. Then again, he was just a spirit, so his disappearing was questionable. She was left at a secret mountain path, several miles away from the Ming Empire. What on earth could this man be thinking?

He came back from his reconnaissance, approaching her steadily. Had it not been for her tired body, she would have slipped away.

"I guess we're lucky," said the man with a slight smile, "the Nemesis didn't find us."

"Oh, be quiet!" Ivy spat. "Do you think I would actually believe your words?"

"Well, no, of course. I wouldn't expect anyone to believe anything I say right away. After all, we've just met."

"Not quite, and let's keep it that way!" Ivy got up from where she currently sat and attempted to walk away, but her head was still pounding from her last battle. She keeled over half-way, holding her head in pain. He caught hold of her on time, though, being careful not to touch her in any wrong way. She pushed him away regardless.

"Heh, heh, you need me right now, admit it!" the man joked.

"Hmph."

"No use struggling, really. My name is . . . you can call me Kyle."

"I assume you know my name already," she said neutrally.

"Yes, a very beautiful name, Isabella."

At that moment, Ivy turned toward him and took out her sword, pointing it shakily at him. He put his hands up to show no hostility.

"H-how do you know! Wait, you watched me battle Cervantes . . . ! How do you know!"

"What, your real name? Just an educated guess, really . . ."

"Quit joking with me, you cur!"

"Just hear me out, alright?" he said, his tone smoothing out, but Ivy still held her weapon in place. "You see, that man in azure armor you saw at the port town, his name is known only as 'Nemesis'. That's all you need to know about who he is. That and the fact that if he gets to you, everyone may pay the price for it. The weapon he holds in his hands allowed him to drift into a different time, another era, if you will."

"W-what! This is plain ludicrous!"

"Well, I'm sure you noticed Nemesis' weapon, at least for a split second. The insignia near its hilt? That signifies that fact, but then, you wouldn't understand its implication. Lets just leave it at this." His voice became much more serious, the tone making Ivy's hand grow weak, the sword in her hand getting gradually lower and lower.

"The weapon is, indeed, Soul Edge."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was quite dark out and Talim was finally heading back to the shelter, quite exhausted. At least the rain had ceased and she managed to search the town practically inside out for anyone living. Sadly, there weren't too many people left. Even sadder was the fact that everyone was too shocked to even shed a tear. What they said they witnessed seemed physically impossible, more like magic than anything else. Yet, she needed to be strong and keep an open mind; after all she'd gone through, anything was possible, especially when it came to the cursed blade.

"Ugh, where has Yunsung gone off to all this time?" she murmured to herself. Her first guess would've been the town's tavern. However, with the shelter being the only standing construct, that was out of the question. She then shook her head and assumed he'd be fast asleep, probably hungry and angry.

_Such an . . . evil combination . . ._

She shuddered, thinking of how to deal with the childish man. Then, as she neared the camp, she became muddled. Yunsung nor that man she found earlier was anywhere in sight. A little while later, a man came up to her, apparently one of the saved villagers.

"Ah, you must be the amazing young priestess from the east!" he began. "Once again, I earnestly thank you for everything you've done for us! But, there's something else I came to tell you. Someone told me to deliver this message to you once you arrived."

"Um, do you remember who it was?"

"Er, no, sorry . . ." Talim's face appeared tired-looking all of the sudden.

"Did the guy have long, spiky, brown hair and an attitude befitting of a five-year-old?"

"Uh, yeah! The description fits him perfectly!" replied the man, feeling more useful.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing the piece of paper and glancing at it.

_-Talim, just wanted to tell you that I was going to help you, but then, I saw this strange lady. She told me some useless garbage and stuff, which pissed me off. She seemed dangerous for some reason, so I'm gonna try following her. Shouldn't take too long! See ya soon. P.S. save me any food you find!-_

Talim sighed, knowing that, once again, he'd be dragging her into some kind of trouble. Yunsung was quite imaginative, but something told her that what he spoke of wasn't that exaggerated. Careful not to tread on dangerous grounds, Talim went off looking for him. Hopefully, he didn't bring along that poor man that's also missing, she thought. That guy would be safer anywhere Yunsung wasn't.

It was only a matter of time before she was able to track his steps with the people's help; he clearly stood out pretty well among the townsfolk. At the edge of town, where the damage wasn't too extensive, she saw a man laying on the ground, obviously hurt.

"Oh, no! Yunsung . . ."

It was him, knocked out cold, but she could see no signs of damage. No cuts, bruises, abrasions, or broken bones. Nothing. She sat him up, and he opened his eyes.

"Uhhh, T-Talim . . . ?" he muttered weakly.

"Oh, are you okay! You're not hurt, right?"

"Damn, my head. Stupid lady!"

"?"

"There was a weird lady in black just a while ago, well, I guess a couple of hours ago at least . . ."

"What about her? What did she do?"

"The lady . . . at first she looked rich, so an idea popped into my head." He picked himself up, feeling back to normal as always. "You see, she had this big ol' robe and all, so I figured she must've been hiding something, maybe even . . ."

"Food?" Talim finished for him, an annoyed look on her face.

"Er, yeah, how did ya know? Well, anyway, she still looked mysterious and all. So I asked her what she was doing here of all places. Then, she's like, 'Quiet, you idiot! I'm looking for someone important.' I got mad, but I kept my cool. So I asked her who this important person was, and just like that she walked off on me! The nerve! After giving the note to the man in town, I followed her again and she got all happy at first, if she could even show any emotion, sheesh! Well, she said to give _you _this piece of Soul Edge and was about to walk off again, when I dashed for her, you know, to stop her for questioning. But she just pushed me away with some crazy magic thingy."

"Wait, did you just say Soul Edge! I knew it!"

"Yeah!" he continued after her. "And what the hell is _she_ doing with a piece of Soul Edge? Why give it to you only? What, am I not important!"

"Yunsung!" Talim said sharply. "This isn't about you! It's about Soul Edge! Aren't you at all curious to know why it's back and in solid pieces?"

"Uh, I guess. Does that mean . . . that Nightmare dude is back, too?"

"I-I don't know," she replied simply, her voice faintly shaky.

"! Watch out!"

In an instant, Yunsung pulled Talim out of the way, causing her to let out a cry of surprise. Behind her, where she just stood, three daggers were planted deep into the ground. Again, several more came flying at them, and Yunsung had to shove her out of the way that time. He gasped deeply, pulling Talim down with him as he ducked behind some wooden wreckage.

"Yunsung, you're bleeding!" Talim cried out, flinching at the sounds of daggers striking thick, wet wood.

"Ugh, j-just a scratch . . ."

"Just a scratch! Yunsung, it stabbed you in your lower abdomen!"

Talim took out some bandages she still had on her from the shelter and attempted to treat his wound. Instead, he grabbed the dagger and yanked it off, wincing from the tremendous pain. And again, a rain of daggers flew over and at their temporary barricade.

"Yunsung!" It was useless. He took out his Chinese Blade and marched out to confront their assailants.

-MITSURUGI-

They had finally taken off to the Ming Empire, a nervous feeling in both their bodies. What if this was some sort of trap developed by the cursed sword, and that strange lady was leading them there? Regardless, Mitsurugi couldn't lie. He was excited about finding and even grasping the legendary weapon many spoke about. However, there was no way to shake Setsuka off of him; she was stuck to him like glue . . . and was up to something, he assumed. She had been unusually silent since departing that port town.

"Did you see that?" she whispered all of the sudden, her hand instinctively landing on the end of her parasol, Ugetsu Kageuchi.

"Huh? You're out of your mind, I don't see . . ."

Flying over just a second later was a strange, armored man, an enormous metallic weapon in his hands. Despite their different perspectives on how he appeared, one thing seemed apparent; he was holding Soul Edge. Both of their fragments suddenly began to shine, causing Mitsurugi and Setsuka to take them out. They started going haywire, moving as if alive.

"What's going on?" Setsuka gasped.

Something roared behind of the man carrying the cursed sword, sounding like a weapon all on its own.

"Look out!" Mitsurugi cried, lunging behind Setsuka and striking down someone with one lethal slash. To their surprise, it was a ninja. But not just any old thieving ninja, a Fu-Ma ninja!

"What is a Fu-Ma ninja doing way out here, and why attack us?"

"Save it," he told her, grabbing hold of her hand as he started to run. They then heard the rustling of leaves just behind them, and to their left and right.

_Damn it! They're cohorts of the flying man, and the sword! How could they possibly . . . _

Mitsurugi finally came to a stop before holding up his sword. He quickly half-turned to Setsuka.

"We're going to have to fight them off."

Setsuka smiled confidently. "If it's a fight they want, they shall have it!"

The female assassin rushed at some nearby bushes, and before he could even blink, her hidden sword was out and swinging, like pure lightning. Leaves flew everywhere, and soon after, a body. It brought back memories of their fight two years ago . . .

Suddenly a ninja flew from the treetops, holding a long blade and diving for him. Mitsurugi held up his blade, Shishi-Oh, and parried the attack with incredible ease, then swung swiftly sideways to catch the end of his vertical swing; it was child's play.

"Listen," Mitsurugi told Setsuka as their backs met, "they're crazed, for some reason."

"I know, not like their usually selves," she added, holding her cleverly hidden sword's hilt.

"They're lacking defense, so just strike when you see an opening."

With those words, they began clashing steel on steel, careful not to overestimate their foes. Setsuka used one of her favorite techniques, one her master taught her. He called it Mirror Blade. As the fervent swing came just seconds before meeting her flesh, she swung Ugetsu Kageuchi from the parasol at her left all the way around, so quick, that just when the ninja's blade became deflected, she had the time to plunge the sword into his chest twice.

Mitsurugi stuck to the evade and counter strategy, making sure each enemy's strike was blocked and then swung once in a fell swoop. One-hit wonders were his specialty. And these lunk-headed ninjas were definitely disappointing him, using no kind of skills whatsoever. As one of the last of them approached him, he struck him just in time, before he could toss a poison-tipped shuriken. His head flew cleanly off, the mask falling off as well and hit the ground-

-and they both grimaced at the sight. The face was _mutated_, barely human anymore. In fact, it was anything but human.

"I-It looks like a demon!" Setsuka managed to say after finishing off the very last ninja. " . . . still interested on finding that sword?"

"So, is that why you came along?" he asked, a stern look on his face.

"Huh?"

"To stop my search? Well, evil or not, I have to see for myself!"

Puzzled and also offended by his sudden mood swing, she decided that he'd be better off on his own after all and left. Mitsurugi only sighed, not knowing who he could trust.

-TAKI-

Her intuition was correct. As she continued her close observation on the band of thieves, she discovered that they were taking a secret path to Ming, one even she never knew about. Fairly interested, she followed. In only a day in a half, without taking breaks, they reached the city limits. Over the large, finely decorated walls covering the outskirts, dark plumes of smoke could be seen, billowing out in dangerous amounts. Taki could sense such strong evil energy even from outside the empire.

"What the hell is happening there!" she whispered to herself, her eyes widening in awe. The mighty Ming Empire, in flames? It seemed almost impossible. Taki knew it wasn't a war. Although dark energy is given off during such battles, it has always been in little amounts. But what she sensed in Ming was unlike anything she felt in so long.

_Not since I fought Oni . . ._

She leapt into action, making sure the thieves wouldn't notice her. She deftly infiltrated the gates, also taking into account the fact that all the guards were away from their posts. It must've been real bad . . .

Taki could hear the screams of the citizens nearly in every direction, making her feel guilty for not making it a priority to save them. She hesitantly confirmed that it was the foolish Emperor's problem to deal with that and moved on. She could not keep her objectives far from her reach.

_The castle, must be heading to the castle._

With her sharpened sixth sense telling her to go there, she dashed off. Fires were blazing everywhere she went, causing her to move carefully, and more importantly, slowing her down. She went rooftop to rooftop avoiding the more damaged areas as much as possible. It was much worse than she imagined.

Far off at the distance, she saw the castle. It was still in one piece at least. The energy increased dramatically, causing her head to ache slightly. Much larger flames brightened up the midnight sky, making the devilish event seem almost festive, if it weren't for the screams and shouts. Taki was about to head off to the front entrance of the castle, until she felt a horribly immense energy source. She jumped down onto the main street, pausing. Her body felt weak, her eyes welling up. Such negative energy was crippling her so suddenly, but she still hung on. Mutilated bodies was lain everywhere, all bloody and missing parts all over.

Her body became covered in sweat as she surveyed the area.

"I know this presence, where are you?" she muttered. And as if to answer her, a tall, lanky body stood in front of her, his back facing her. It was a boy, only when he turned around, his innocent, blood-tattered face became _evil_, his eyes glowing red. A deep, guttural voice came from him.

"WELCOME, MORTAL. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT TO FINALLY COME. I, ONI, SHALL CLAIM MY REVENGE AT LONG LAST!"


End file.
